CTA Warns of Cuts on "At Issue"

CTA President Richard Rodriguez has been going on radio talk shows and appearing at L stations to warn riders about cuts to the bus and rail systems coming Feb. 7. To balance the budget, the agency plans to cut 9 express bus routes, cut hours on 41 bus routes, and reduce service frequency on rail lines. To avoid the cuts, the CTA wants its labor unions to give back pay raises.

CTA Chair Terry Peterson has been complaining about the unions not coming forward with concessions that can help avoid both the cuts and more than 1,000 layoffs. The unions, meanwhile, complain that the CTA hasn't responded to its suggestions. To hear more about the issue, check out Craig Dellamore's "At Issue" on WBBM-AM 780 at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Craig was kind enough to let me join him to fire some questions at the CTA heads.

Why is that the unions need to always give up things. Why can't CTA look at the top level and reduce pay and give back raises. Also, why is CTA expanding downtown in one of the largest projects in CTA history. Why dont they stop the project and get rid of all the management involved in it. The real loser in this will always be the CTA rider. We pay a lot for very little. CTA get your act together.

I think the CTA is full of crap. It's amazing to me how they have money to buy new buses but not enough money to fund the employees. It's also baffles me that the morjority of the services cuts effect the ridership of the people who keep the service afloat. In example, they are cutting the express buses from routes that service mostly the south side of Chicago. Further, they are cutting back on night service in areas where it is dangerous for single mother who may work nights with no chance of changing her hours to be forced to sacrefice her safety to support her family. Also, if further amazes me how I can stand on the platform waiting sometimes close to 30 minutes for a Green Line train and watch sometimes 6 or 7 Orange Line and Brown Line Trains go by HALF EMPTY!!!! What's up with that CTA?

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